I scraplifted Cheri's lovely We Need the Tonic of the Wilderness layout. I especially liked her composition and it's nature theme, and I thought it would be good for my manatee photos. The manatees were very visible in the water, but seem to blend into the water in the photos, so I hope they show up on the computer screen. We were quite excited to spot them; they are hard to find in warm weather, so we were lucky the day was cold.

Journaling reads: Manatees are marine herbivore mammals that measure up to 13 feet long and weigh as much as 1,300 pounds. They inhabit shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers and need warm water. During colder winter months their usual source for warmth is warm, spring-fed rivers, but they also congregate near the warm water outflows of power plants along the coast of Florida. Last week we visited the Manatee Viewing Center of the nuclear power plant in Apollo Beach, Florida, where we were lucky enough to see several manatees, some with babies, swimming in the area.

Wow, I love how your shadows are on the water in the photo!!! Great photography, Diane! My boys and I loved going on Manatee watches, and would get so excited when seeing them at the Deering Estate. They are so graceful. Love your use of paper and the net in the foreground with the other photos. Really like this LO and your journaling!

Wow that is another amazing water/shadow photo Diane and I sure can see those manatees. How exciting that you were able to spot, no less photograph them and I really enjoyed learning from your interesting journaling. Your framing is great and you picked the perfect background for your layout. Super work.

What a great LO. I like your composition and how it ‘tells the story’. It’s truly what I call a Memory Page (what I’ve always called scrapbook pages). I love the way your photos turned out—with the almost blended look of the manatees under the water. And how neat the way you captured both the rippling water AND the shadows of ‘the watchers’. Your inclusion of the picture of the smoke stack and the statue really added to the whole. Also liked the emb’s you used—the binoculars, netting. and the pamphlet-looking journal page.

The backgroud paper and elements are a perfect compliment to your amazing photos! I love the photo with the people silouette with the manatees. I love your selection of photos with the rest of your layout, including your placement of photos. Great page!

That focal photo is amazing! I love how you can see both the manatees AND the reflection/shadows of the people watching! The netting, binoculars, and the journaling that looks like a brochure are the perfect additions to compliment your photos! Thanks for the lift:)